Fuel distribution and dispersing unit



June 12, 1962 Filed July so, 1958 c. M. ELLIOTT 3,038,461

FUEL DISTRIBUTION AND DISPERSING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN L/EN TOR ULIFTo/V M. ELLIOTT 5) ITraJWYB/a.

June 12, 1962 c. M. ELLIOTT 3,038,461

FUEL DISTRIBUTION AND DISPERSING UNIT Filed July 50, 1958 2 SheetsSheei 2 7U 2 2.44 272 W MKM Ep flrromasw,

United rates Faterit @r 3,038,461 FUEL D'i'STRlBUTlGN AND DISPERSIING UNIT Clifton M. Elliott, itirmingham, Mich, assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 30, 1958, Ser. No. 752,004 ll Claims. ((31. 123l19) This invention relates to a fuel injection system of the type disclosed in the related copending applications owned by applicants assignee and having the following filing dates:

Thomas M. Ball et al., Serial No. 751,999, filed luly 30,

Clifton M. Elliott, Serial No. 752,000, filed July 30, 1958, and now Patent No..3,005,559, granted Oct. 24, 1960;

John W. Hurst, Serial No. 752,003, filed July 30, 1958, and now Patent No. 2,954,021, granted Sept. 27, 1960; and

Eugene P. Wise, Serial No. 752,005, filed July 30, 1958.

This invention relates in particular to a fuel distribution and dispersing unit or rosette for creating and supplying a fuel in air dispersion to the separate cylinders of multicylinder internal combustion engines.

It is conventional in fuel injection systems to meter liquid fuel under pressure to a fuel distribution chamber or rosette from which it is distributed through separate conduits to the intake manifold portions of an engine adjacent the individual cylinders thereof. Under certain operating conditions of high engine heat and low injection nozzle fuel pressure, such as exist during engine idling or at low speeds on a warm day, the liquid fuel in these separate conduits tends to vaporize and produce vapor pockets therein. Since the vaporized fuel occupies a much larger volume than the liquid fuel the total pressure in the separate conduits is increased which pressure increase is transmitted to the fuel metering system which reacts thereto and erroneously alters the fuel flow to the rosette.

It is proposed herein to advantageously produce a fuel in air dispersion within the rosette and to transfer the fuel in air dispersion through separate conduits to the separate cylinders of the engine. This dispersion is obtained within the rosette by forcing the liquid fuel under pressure through a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices into a plurality of air streams in which the atomized fuel becomes thoroughly dispersed. The main advantage in so dispersing the fuel is that unavoidable heating of the dispersion to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid fuel will not increase the volume of the dispersion in the conduits enough to alter significantly the accuracy of the fuel metering system. Another advantage in atomizing and dispersing the fuel before it is forced through the nozzle feed conduits is that fuel pressure heads are not formed in the conduits adjacent the injection nozzles when the engine is inclined, as on a hill, which pressure heads normally result in an upsetting of the metering function of the fuel metering system by transmitting erroneous pressure signals thereto.

It is also conventional in fuel injection systems to meter the fuel to a fuel distribution chamber or rosette through one or more fuel metering orifices, the sizes of which are subject to regulation by adjustable valve means responsive to changes in various atmospheric and engine operating parameters, including engine speed and load. Among the problems encountered by such systems is the fuel vaporization and cavitation in the system between the rosette and the downstream side of the fuel metering orifices caused by the pressure drop across the fuel metering orifices. This fuel vaporization is particularly evi- 3,038,46l Patented June 12, 1962 ice dent on hot days during engine operating conditions of comparatively light load and light fuel flow. In consequence of this vapor formation liquid and vaporized fuel in varied and non-measurable proportions are supplied to the rosette for distribution to the separate cylinders of the engine. Since the rosette is usually not designed to distinguish between fuel vapor and liquid fuel the distribution of this partially liquid fuel cannot be evenly made by the rosette to the separate cylinders.

It is also proposed herein to provide a rosette for use in fuel injection systems which will allow the incorporation in said systems of a pressure increasing valve. This valve is located immediately adjacent the inlet to the rosette and allows fuel to flow into the rosette when the fuel attains a predetermined pressure which pressure is high enough to prevent excessive fuel vaporization in the system under light load conditions. A pressure drop exists across this valve and causes a certain amount of fuel vaporization to occur at the inlet to the rosette. The close proximity however of the rosette to the valve and the radial symmetry of the rosette prohibits the formation of vapor pockets and allows the vaporized fuel and the liquid fuel to be substantially evenly distributed to the engine cylinders.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fuel injection system of the aforesaid type which will overcome the foregoing objections.

Another object is to provide a rosette of simple construction and low cost which is capable of producing and distributing an equal amount of fuel in air dispersion to each cylinder of an internal combustion engine.

It is an object of this invention to provide an air bled rosette for use in conjunction with a return flow metering fuel injection system to transform accurately metered liquid fuel into a fuel in air dispersion for distribution to the engine cylinders.

Another object is to provide a novel fuel distribution rosette for use in a fuel injection system which will allow the incorporation of a pressure increasing means in said system to prevent excessive fuel vaporization therein with out decreasing the fuel distribution accuracy of the rosette through fuel vaporization caused by the pressure drop across said pressure increasing means.

Another object is to provide a rosette capable of evenly distributing liquid fuel to a plurality of atomizing orifices and converting the liquid fuel into a fuel in air dispersion on the downstream side of said orifices.

Another object is to provide a fuel injection system which cooperatively employs a return flow speed metering unit, a load metering unit, a pressure increasing means, and a fuel distribution rosette for the purpose of eliminating a major portion of the fuel metering and distribution error caused by fuel vaporization within the system.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed illustration thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the fuel injection metering unit;

FIGURE 2 is substantially a vertical longitudinal midsectional view through the unit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the unit taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1, and rotated counterclockwise FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of the unit of FIGURE 1 taken along a line and in the direction corresponding to 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the load sensor of FIGURE 1 taken along a line corresponding to 5-5 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows with parts broken away to show a section of the load metering orifice of FIGURE 1 taken along a line corresponding to 5A-5A of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a view partly in cross section of the general arrangement of the fuel injection system and the engine; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of an automotive distributor for driving the unit of FIGURE 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIGURES l and 2, a fuel injection metering unit designated generally as It is provided with a speed sensor designated generally as 12. This speed sensor is conveniently divided into three sections, a speed section 14, an intermediate section 16, and a governor section 18. All three of these sections cooperate simultaneously to adjust the amount of fuel available to the engine in accordance with the fuel requirements of the engine as related to engine speed.

The speed section 14 comprises a housing 2%) having a chamber 22 therein to receive a constant supply of fuel supplied under pressure by the pump 24 (FIGURE 6) through the fuel conduit 26. Pump 24 may be electrically driven and its operating speed is independent of engine speed. A fuel filter chamber 28 located in chamber 22 actually received the fuel initially and after filtering said fuel discharges it into chamber 22. A return flow metering orifice 30 on housing 20 provides a passage from chamber 22 to a return flow conduit 32 which winds throughout the unit and provides numerous chambers as shown in FIGURES 2, 4, and 5. A fuel outlet 34- in housing 29 communicates with an upstream chamber 36 of the load sensor 38 to enable fuel which has not been returned to the fuel source through return flow conduit 32 to flow into chamber 36, FIGURES 2 and 3.

The intermediate section 16 of the speed sensor 12 is separated from the speed section 14 and the governor section 18 by diaphragms 42 and 44 respectively. This section is provided with a housing 45 having a chamber 46 which communicates with the downstream chamber 48 of the load sensor 38 through a conduit 50 to provide equal fuel pressures in chambers 46 and 48 for a purpose to be explained below.

A chamber 52 in section 16 communicates with an intake manifold 54 of the engine at a point adjacent the throttle valve 56 through conduit 58 (FIGURES 2 and 6) and provides a substantially constant low pressure to the diaphragm 44 when the engine is idling and also provides an increased pressure when the throttle 56 is opened (see FIGURE 6). Conduit 58 also serves to convey fuel passing the seals 64 to the intake manifold. An air bleed 57 which may be made adjustable communicates with chamber 52 and allows air under atmospheric pressure to bleed into said chamber to partially offset the low pressure therein and provides a means for adjusting the idling speed of the engine. Bleed 57 may be of any conventional air valve structure. A conventional needle valve of threadably received in housing 4-5 and adjustable with respect to the opening of conduit 58 into chamber 52 provides a means to regulate the amount of vacuum transmitted to chamber 52 from the engine manifold in order to further regulate the idling speed of the engine.

Referring again to FIGURE 2, a fuel return fiow metering shaft 62 slidably mounted in housing 45 and provided with sliding sealing rings 64 is secured at one end to diaphragm 4-2 and valve disc 56 by flanges 65 and 63 and rivets 70. Disc 66 is movable with shaft e2 toward orifice 30 to retard the flow of return fuel therethrough to return flow conduit 32. A split retaining ring '72 positioned in a circumferential groove '74 in shaft 62 provides a stop to prevent valve disc 66 from moving too far from orifice 3%. The other end of shaft 62 is connected to diaphragm 4 by flanges 74- and '76 and rivets 73.

Governor section 18 of the speed sensor comprises a housing 8% having a chamber 82 therein communicating with one side of diaphragm 44. The pressure in this chamber is at all times atmospheric and therefore allows a pressure differential to exist across diaphragm 44, since chamber 52 communicates at all times with the low pressure portion of the engine intake manifold. A shaft 84 is rotatably mounted in a sleeve member 81 in housing by ball bearing as and bearing surface 87 on sleeve 81 and is keyed for rotation to a flexible drive shaft $3 of the engine distributor 89 (FIGURE 7) by key 9t on shaft 88 and slot 91 in shaft $4. The chamber 92 formed between member 81 and housing fit serves as a lubricating oil reservoir for ball bearing 86 and bearing surface 87. The oil is introduced into oil cup 94 and flows to said ball bearing and bearing surface through apertures 96 in member 81.

An end of member Si. is threadably received in the end of housing 86 and is secured against rotatable movement therein by lock nut 98 threadably received on said end of member 81 and threaded into tight engagement with the end face 100 of housing 80. A nut 102 is threadably received on the end of housing 80 and secures the flexible drive shaft covering 164 to said housing. A fiyweight support 1% is secured to shaft 84 for rotation therewith and pivotally supports flyweights 108 and 110 on bearings 112 and 114 respectively. A sleeve 116 having a flange 118 thereon is rotatably and slidably mounted on a reduced portion of shaft 84. Slots 120 and 122 in flyweights 108 and 110 respectively loosely receive flange 118 which is abutted by shoulders 124- and 126 on flyweights 1428 and Mil respectively. A sleeve 128 also rotatably and slidably mounted on said reduced portion of shaft 84 is secured at one end to the inner race of a ball bearing 1363. Said sleeve 128 mounts on its other end a spring 132 which resiliently urges said sleeves 116 and 128 apart and causes the outer race of ball bearing 13% to abut the heads of rivets 78 with suficient force to prevent the outer race from rotating with the inner race and shaft 84. The rotation of shaft 84- in response to the rotation of the flexible drive shaft 88 causes the flyweights 1G8 and Mil to pivot outwardly from shaft 84 around bearings I12 and 114 respectively, which brings shoulders 124 and 126 of the flyweights into contact with the flange 118 of sleeve 116 and tends to urge the latter against spring 132. The force transmitted to spring 132 is transmitted through the connected diaphragms to the return flow metering valve disc 66 and tends to move said disc closer to the orifice 30.

It is noted that the force output of a flyweight governor is, mathematically speaking, proportional to the square of the engine speed. Such a relationship between engine speed and force output, however, does not sufi'ice for supplying fuel to the engine in accordance with the present metering unit since the air consumption of an internal combustion engine with respect to engine speed deviates from a linear relationship. This deviation is particularly noticeable in engines utilizing the ram type manifolds which manifolds are long enough to develop air pulsations therein which pulsations ram additional air into the engine cylinders and cause the engine to require more fuel to offset the leaning effect of the additional air. The relationship therefore between engine speed and governor force output is changed herein by the interposition of spring 132 between sleeves 116 and 12%. This spring allows the radius of rotation of the centers of gravity of the flyweights to increase at a faster than normal rate with respect to engine speed over a portion of the speed range and to thereby exert a force on the spring, sleeve 128, and valve shaft 62 which force results in an increase in fuel flow to the engine over the amount which would fiow at that speed in the absence of the spring. Spring 1.32 may also be designed to have variable spring rate should it be desired to further vary the force output of the flyweights. At high speed ranges during which the proportion of air consumption to engine speed decreases due to a reduction in the ram effect at said speeds, the sleeves 116 and 128 will abut each other and the radius of rotation of the centers of gravity of the flyweights will increase with further increases in engine speed at of the second section 196 of the load sensor.

the normal or lower rate. This reduced rate of said radius increase will result in the force output of the governor also increasing at said normal or lower rate with respect to said further increase in engine speed, which reduced rate of force output will result in a flow of fuel to the engine which correspond more nearly to the linear air consumption of said engine at high speeds.

The specific structure of the load sensor 38 with which the fuel outlet 34 of chamber 32 communicates is shown in FIGURE 3. The load sensor is conveniently divided into three sections for purposes of description. The first section 150 contains the mechanisms which are responsive to changes in manifold pressure and changes in atmospheric conditions to move through suitable linkages the load metering needle 152 with respect to the load metering orifice 154. This first section 150 comprises a cylinder 156 (FIGURES 3 and 5) having a manifold pressure inlet 158 which is operatively connected to the low pressure portion of the engine intake manifold. As shown in FIGURE 6, this portion may conveniently be chamber 54 which is downstream of primary throttle valve 56. A piston 160 having air sealing rings 162 thereon is reciprocably mounted in cylinder 156 and moves upwardly against spring 164 as the intake manifold pressure decreases. An air vent 159 communicating with conduit 58 in intermediate section 16 of the speed sensor (FIGURES 2 and 3) is provided in the housing of section 150 and allows atmospheric air to flow through slits 161 in the piston 160 and into contact with the exterior of air tight bellows 166 which is nested within the lower portion of piston 160. The low pressure in conduit 58 sucks a continuous fiow of air past the bellows 166 which bellows expands lengthwise in response to either a drop in atmospheric pressure or an increase in atmospheric temperature and conversely contracts lengthwise in response to increased atmospheric pressure or decreased atmospheric temperature. Said bellows is secured at its top end to a shell 168 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 170 therein through which slidably extend fingers 172 of plate 174 to which the lower end of bellows 166 is secured. Fingers 172 of plate 175 fit into grooves in the inner wall of piston 160 and are retained therein by split retaining ring 176. A spring 177 normally urges bellows 166 to a contracted condition. A plate 178 is secured to the lower end of shell 168 and carries a socket 180 into which a ball 182 of linkage member 184 is retained. Said linkage member is pivotally securedto arm 186 which is pivotally attached to one end of shaft 188 which shaft is rotatably mounted in the housing of section 150 and extends into chamber 36 An arm 194 secured to the other end of shaft 188 is pivotally connected to the load metering needle 152. An arm 192 secured to shaft 188 adjacent the arm 186 is provided with a set screw 194 which extends through slot 196 in arm 186. Arms 186 and 192 may be moved relative to each other whenthe set screw is loose to adjust the position of the meteringneedle 152 with respect to orifice 154 at any desired operating condition of the load sensor, after which the set screw is tightened.

The second section 197 of the load sensor is separated from the first section 150 by suitable walls and fluid tight seals which keep the fluid in upstream chamber 36 of section 197 from entering section 150. Chamber 36 receives its fuel supply from outlet 34 of chamber 22 of the speed section of the speed sensor which fuel represents the portion of the pumped fuel that is not returned to the fuel tank 198 (FIGURE 6) through the return flow conduit 32. Orifice 154 in the housing of chamber 136 opens into the downstream chamber 48 of the third section 200 of the load sensor. The total effect of the intake manifold pressure and the pressure and temperature of the atmosphere regulates the positioning of the metering needle 152 with respect to orifice 154 to control the flow of fuel therethrough into chamber 48.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, a pressure valve needle 202 positioned in chamber 48 is attached to a diaphragm 204 and is normally urged to a closed position with respect to a fuel port 206 which communicates with the fuel distribution chamber 208 of rosette 210. The combined pressures exerted by the return fuel in conduit 32 and spring 212 urge needle 202 to its normally closed position. These pressures can be overcome by the pressure of the fuel flowing into chamber 48 when a predetermined minimum pressure of fuel in chamber 48 is attained. By establishing this minimum pressure in chamber 48 the formation of vapor therein and in the rest of the system upstream thereof is retarded especially during starting and at slow engine speeds and the proper flow of fuel through the return flow conduit is insured since the resistance to said flow is overcome by the minimum pressure established in said chamber 48. It is noted that the fuel passing through orifice 266 may tend to vaporize due to the pressure drop across said orifice. However, the radial symmetry of the orifices 216 around chamber 208 and the close proximity of these orifices to orifice 206 renders the vapor problem negligible in obtaining proper distribution from the rosette.

The rosette 210 in FIGURE 4 comprises a body 213 having a plurality of apertures 214 communicating with fuel chamber 208 across orifices 216. A nozzle feed conduit 218 is secured in each said aperture and communicates with a particular portion of the engine intake manifold 220 through a fuel injection nozzle 222 (FIG- URE 6). An air conduit 22 4 has a threaded bushing 225 secured thereto which is threadably secured to body 213 by an intermediate valve carrying nut 227. A lock nut 229 secures the fuel feed conduit retaining plate 231 to the body 213 which plate urges the enlarged portions 233 of the nozzle feed conduits inwardly of the rosette to retain said conduits therein (see FIGURE 5). Conduit 224 may be connected to an air pump 226 which is suitably mounted on the engine block 228 and actuated by the engine camshaft 230 (FIGURE 6). The use of this air pump is optional, however, a better control over the fuel atomization and dispersion has been obtained by using the pump and its use is advisable. A disc valve 232 normally urged against the inlet air port 234 of said rosette by spring 235 will prevent fuel from flowing into conduit 224 should something happen to the system to cause the fuel in the nozzle feed conduits to back up through orifices 241 Slots 238 in a valve retaining plate 239 permit the air to flow into chamber 236 after it passes through port 234. Air chamber 236 communicates with each said aperture 214 across orifices 240. As the air flows across orifices 240 it mixes with the fuel flowing across orifices 216 and forms a liquid in air type dispersion which then flows through the nozzle feed conduits to the fuel injection nozzles. It is noted that the close proximity of the orifices 216 and 241i prevents collection of liquid fuel on the downstream side of orifice 216. The air orifices 240 should be larger than the fuel orifices 216 since at idle and low fuel consumption conditions the volume of air used greatly exceeds the volume of fuel used.

Referring further to FIGURE 4 a cylinder 242 positioned in the return flow conduit slidably receives an accelerator piston 244. Attached to the piston is a shaft 246 which is slidably received in a recess 248 in shaft 256. A groove 252 in shaft 246 slidably receives a screw 254 which limits the longitudinal movement of the shaft 246 and attached piston 244. An arm 254 is secured to shaft 250 at one end and to shaft 256 at its other end, which shaft 256 is operatively connected to the engine accelerator pedal and rotates clockwise in response to the depression of the pedal to urge shaft 258 against spring 258 to move piston 244 downward. As said piston is moved downward it forces fuel trapped in accelerator chamber 266: through conduit 262 and into chamber 264 where it exerts a force on diaphragm 266. When the pressure exerted on said diaphragm by the accelerator pump reaches a predetermined minimum, needle valve 263 will open and allow accelerator fuel to flow directly through conduit 269 to chamber 268. The spring 258 allows a smooth and progressively increasing amount of accelerator fuel to flow to the engine as the accelerator is depressed. A ball check valve 270 separating the return flow conduit 32 from the accelerator chamber 26%) is drawn upwardly from port 272 as piston 244 moves upwardly in response to engine deceleration and allows return fuel to fill chamber 260. The downward movement of piston 244 closes port 272 by forcing ball 270 into contact therewith. It is noted that a spring 274 and return fuel in return flow conduit 32 cooperate to urge diaphragm 266 and attached needle valve 268 to a closed position and establish the minimum pressure on diaphragm 2 56 which must be overcome by the pressure exerted by piston 244 on accelerator fuel within chamber 260 if acceleration fuel is to flow to the rosette. This accelerator pump is actuated in response to each depression of the accelerator pedal to deliver an extra amount of fuel to the engine while the rest of the fuel distribution system is catching up to the increased engine load condition. Without said pump the rapid increase in air flow into the intake manifold as the throttle is opened would cause a lean air-fuel mixture and result in coughing and spitting of the engine.

The operating of the fuel injection metering unit It) will be described in relation to a change in static engine operating conditions, that is, constant engine speed and load. Uder said static operating conditions, the combined forces exerted by flyweights 1G8 and 110 and the fuel in chamber 46 is balanced by the force exerted by the fuel in chamber 22 and the return flow metering disc 66 is maintained stationary at a distance away from orifice 30. In this static condition, the amount of fuel delivered to the rosette distributing chamber 2518 is constant and is equal to the constant amount of fuel being delivered to the system by the pump less the constant amount of fuel being returned to the fuel tank through the return flow conduit 32. If this static condition represents the engine during normal driving speed, the pressure in chamber 52 has no noticeable effect on the operation of the unit and may be disregarded. It is only during idling and very low engine speeds that the pressure differential across diaphragm 44 becomes significant.

As the throttle valve 56 is moved to a more open position by the depression of the engine accelerator, an increase in manifold pressure is transmitted to the load sensor piston through conduit I58 and moves said piston down to thereby move the load metering needle 152 to a more open position with respect to the load metering orifice 154. The pressure differential existing across said orifice is consequently decreased as more fuel is allowed to flow into chamber 48. This decrease in pressure differential causes the flow through orifice 154 to deviate from the desirable flow which is substantially directly proportional to engine speed. To correct this condition and bring the pressure differential across said orifice up to a value where the flow of fuel therethrough is substantially directly proportional to engine speed, the fuel presure in speed chamber 22 and load sensor chamber 36 communicating therewith is increased. This increase in pressure is accomplished by moving the return flow metering valve disc 66 closer to orifice 3t) by the increased force transmitted by the flyweights res and 119 as the engine speed is increased and by the increased pressure in chamber 46 caused by the increased flow of fuel into the downstream chamber 48 of the load sensor. When the forces transmitted by said flyweights and the fuel in said chamber 46 once again balance the force transmitted in the opposite direction by the fuel in chamber 22, the flow of fuel through orifice 154 will be substantially directly proportional to the speed of the engine and will correspond to the how of air into the intake manifold.

In the operation of the rosette, the rush of liquid fuel through orifices 216 creates low pressures in the vicinity of the feed conduit ends of the air orifices 240. These low pressures tend to suck air through conduit 224 and into the apertures 214 wherein the air mixes with the fuel to form a fuel in air dispersion. When conduit 224 is connected to an air pump a greater air flow at low engine speeds can be obtained and a better fuel in air dispersion may result.

I claim:

1. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to a fuel source, fuel metering means in said conduit adapted to adjust the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine requirements, fuel atomizing means in said rosette communicating with said fuel feed conduit, nozzle feed conduit means communicating with said engine and said fuel atomizing means, an air atomizing means communicafing with said nozzle feed conduit means downstream of said fuel atomizing means.

2. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to a fuel source, fuel metering means in said conduit, said metering means comprising a speed sensor and a load sensor operatively connected to said engine and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine speed and engine load, a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said conduit and with a plurality of nozzle feed conduits, and a plurality of air atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said nozzle feed conduits on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices.

3. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel source, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to said fuel source, fuel metering means in said conduit operatively connected to said engine and adapted to adjust the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine requirements, fuel atomizing means in said rosette communicating with said fuel feed conduit, nozzle feed conduit means communicating with said engine and said fuel atomizing means, air supply means in said rosette communicating with said nozzle feed conduit means downstream of said fuel atomizing means, and air atomizing means in said air supply means.

4. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel source, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to said fuel source, fuel metering means in said conduit, said metering means comprising a speed sensor and a load sensor operatively connected in series to said engine and said fuel source and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine speed and engine load, a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said conduit, a plurality of nozzle feed conduits communicating with said orifices and said engine, air supply means in said rosette communicating with said nozzle feed conduits on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices, and a plurality of air atomizing orifices in said air supply means.

5. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to a fuel source, return flow speed metering means and load metering means in said conduit adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine speed and engine load, a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said conduit and with a plurality of nozzle feed conduits, a plurality of air atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said nozzle feed conduits on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices, and pressure increasing means in said conduit upstream of said rosette and downstream of said load metering means.

6. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel source, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to a fuel source, return flow speed metering means and load metering means connected in series in said conduit and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine speed and engine load, a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said conduit, a plurality of nozzle feed conduits communicating with said orifices and said engine, air supply means in said rosette, a plurality of air atomizing orifices in said air supply means, said air atomizing orifices communicating with said nozzle feed conduits on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices, and pressure increasing means in said conduit upstream of said rosette and downstream of said load metering means, said pressure increasing means adapted to maintain a minimum fuel pressure in said rosette to insure proper fuel atomization therein.

7. In a fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, a fuel distribution and dispersing rosette, a fuel source, a fuel feed conduit connecting said rosette to said fuel source, a return flow conduit connecting said fuel feed conduit to said fuel source, return flow metering means in said return flow conduit adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said source in accordance with engine speed, load metering means in said fuel feed conduit downstream of said return flow conduit and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel to said rosette in accordance with engine load, a plurality of fuel atomizing orifices in said rosette communicating with said fuel feed c011- duit, a plurality of nozzle feed conduits communicating with said orifices and said engine, a plurality of air atomizing orifices in said rosette downstream of said fuel atomizing orifices and communicating with said nozzle feed conduits at a point immediately adjacent the downstream end of said fuel atomizing orifices, and an air check valve in said rosette communicating with said air atomizing orifices and an air supply.

8. A fuel distribution and dispersing rosette for a fuel injection system comprising a body having a fuel chamber therein adapted to communicate with a fuel feed conduit, a plurality of apertures in said body circumferentially spaced around said chamber and communicating therewith, a restriction in each of said apertures forming fuel atomizing orifices, each of said apertures adapted to be connected to a separate nozzle feed conduit, an air inlet chamber in said body communicating with said apertures on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices through a plurality of air passages, a restriction in each of said passages forming a plurality of air atomizing orifices, said air atomizing orifices being substantially larger in diameter than said fuel atomizing orifices to allow a proportionately greater air flow at low fuel consumption conditions, such as at idle.

9. A fuel distribution rosette for a fuel injection system comprising a body having a fuel chamber therein adapted to communicate with a fuel feed conduit, a plurality of apertures in said body circumferentially spaced around said chamber and communicating therewith through fuel atomizing orifices, said apertures adapted to be connected to a plurality of nozzle feed conduits, a notched retaining plate adapted to fit on said body and adapted to retain said nozzle feed conduits in said apertures, an air chamber in said body communicating with said apertures on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices through air atomizing orifices, a check valve in said air chamber adapted to prevent the reverse flow of air and fuel in said chamber and said air atomizing orifices, said air atomizing orifices being substantially larger in diameter than said fuel atomizing orifices to allow a greater air flow at low fuel consumption conditions.

10. A fuel distribution and dispersing rosette for a fuel injection system comprising a body having a fuel chamber therein adapted to communicate with a fuel feed conduit, a plurality of apertures in said body circumferentially spaced around said chamber and communicating therewith, a restriction in each of said apertures forming fuel atomizing orifices therein, said apertures adapted to be connected to a plurality of nozzle feed conduits, an air chamber in said body communicating with said apertures on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices through air passages, a restriction in each of said air passages forming an air atomizing orifice therein, a check valve in said air chamber adapted to prevent the reverse flow of air and fuel from said apertures to said air chamber through said air atomizing orifices, said air atomizing orifices being substantially larger in diameter than said fuel atomizing orifices to allow a proportionately greater air flow at low fuel consumption conditions.

11. A fuel distribution and dispersing rosette for a fuel injection system comprising a body having a fuel chamber therein adapted to communicate with a fuel feed conduit to receive fuel therefrom, a plurality of apertures in said body circumferentially spaced around said fuel chamber and communicating therewith, a restriction in each of said apertures forming a fuel atomizing orifice therein, each of said apertures being adapted to frictionally receive a nozzle feed conduit, a retaining plate secured to said body, said plate having notches therein adapted to receive restricted portions of said nozzle feed conduits and retain said conduits in said apertures, an air chamber in said body, a check valve in said air chamber communicating with an air supply, said air chamber communicating with said apertures on the downstream side of said fuel atomizing orifices, through separate air passages, a restriction in each of said air passages forming an air atomizing orifice therein, said check valve in said air chamber adapted to prevent the reverse flow of air and fuel from said apertures to said air chamber through said air atomizing orifices, said air atomizing orifices being substantially larger in diameter than said fuel atomizing orifices to allow a proportionately greater air flow at low fuel consumption conditions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,894,510 Ensign Jan. 17, 1933 1,905,258 Williams Apr. 25, 1933 2,711,723 Summers June 28, 1955 

